Temporal Lobe And Religious Experiences

Temporal
lobe and religious experiences

The right temporal lobe and associated limbic lobe
structures as the biological interface with an interconnected universe

Melvin Morse M.D.

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

University of Washington

4011 Talbot Road S.

Renton, Washington 98055

From:

ABSTRACT:

Deep right temporal lobe and associated limbic lobe structures
are clearly linked to human religious experiences of all types,
including conversion experiences and near death experiences. Simply
because religious experiences are brain based does not automatically
lessen or demean their spiritual significance. Indeed, the findings
of neurological substrates to religious experiences can be argued
to provide evidence for their objective reality.

I speculate that our right temporal lobe allows humans to interact
with a timeless space-less "non-local" reality. The clinical experience
of accessing that reality is an important component in religious
experiences. The existence of such a reality is predicted by modern
quantum theoretical physics.

Such a theory has value in that it provides a theoretical explanation
for many well-documented phenomena which currently exist outside
our current theoretical scientific model. I will review its implications
for a better understanding of two of them, remote viewing and mind-body
healing.

For example, one of the difficulties in accepting mind-body healing
as mainstream medical therapeutic modality is that there is no
coherent theory of how it might work. If we accept that there is
a non-local reality as evidenced by the Aspect experiments, Rupert
Sheldrake's morphic forms would seemingly exist within that non-local
reality. I postulate that our right temporal lobe is the biological
vehicle for morphic resonance, explaining how meditative and dissociative
states can result in corrections to the body's DNA.

This theory results in potential scientific studies that can advance
our understanding of human consciousness and paranormal talents.
I predict that even if my hypothesis is proven wrong, advances
in understanding mind-body healing will occur in the process of
investigating it.

INTRODUCTION

All human experience is brain based. This includes scientific
reasoning, mathematical deduction, moral judgement, athletic talents
and spiritual intuitions and perceptions. Understanding the neurobiological
basis for encounters with spiritual realities results in a new
hypothesis which can be experimentally tested. .(Saver 1997) Spiritual
experiences such as premonitions of death or near death experiences
often includes precognition of future events or remote viewing,
which make the experiences incomprehensible from the current medical
model. As yet, there is no coherent theory to explain how precognition
or remote viewing could work, from a brain biology point of view.
This lack of a theoretical scientific model to allow interaction
with an interconnected universe has led to a 100 year "skeptic" versus "believer" debate
which has not advanced our understanding of human consciousness.
This debate is primarily a philosophical one, between atheists
and "believers". It has dominated all areas of paranormal and near-death
research, and often is couched in scientific terminology.(Hansen
1992) The debate itself, by both skeptics and "believers" fulfills
Carl Sagan's definition of pseudoscience, in that there is little
scientific data generated and many appeals to various authorities
as experts.(Sagan 1996)

THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES, OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCES
AND NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES

The mesial right temporal lobe, hippocampus, and associated limbic
lobe structures are implicated as the biological substrates of
out of body and religious experiences. The evidence for this includes
studies of temporal lobe pathology, direct electrical stimulation
studies, studies of temporal lobe epileptics, experimental studies
of near death experiences(NDEs), and clinical studies comparing
ketamine and LSD experiences and the actions of associated neurotransmitters
within the human brain.

Early case reports demonstrated that tumors in the temporal regions
were often associated with visual hallucinations. These hallucinations
included visions of "a strange looking wicked looking woman in
a dress", to "pictured scenes and mirages", to flashes of light
and luminous objects.(Henschen 1925, Jackson 1889-90) For example,
one report of a boy with a cystic glioma in the right temporal
lobe resulted in a vivid three dimensional vision of a man dressed
in white.(Cushing 1921). Kennedy was one of the first to identify
vividly real hallucinations of an audio-visual nature, localized
outside of the body as being temporal lobe in origin.(Kennedy 1911).

Many of the case reports involved patients seeing apparitions
before death. This is a well documented clinical phenomenon seen
in dying patients.(Barrett 1990, Ossis 1977).

Direct electrical stimulation studies of deep right temporal lobe
structures broaden our understanding of this area, as they provoked
out of body perceptions as well as "seeing" memories, and other
elements of NDEs(Moody). For example, in Penfield's series, one
patient stated "oh god, I am leaving my body", and another patient
stated "I am half in and half out". In nearby areas in the temporal
lobe, patients reported hearing heavenly music, seeing vivid hallucinations
of people, and recalling past memories so vividly that they seemed
to be as if a three dimensional panorama outside of the body.(Penfield
1950,1955)

A more recent study describes a patient who reported a feeling
of being far away from his body on right temporal mesolimbic structure
stimulation.(Gloor). Michael Persinger has developed a method of
weak electrical stimulation of the right temporal lobe without
neurosurgical intervention, which he used to study college students.
He describes them as having a "God experience".(Persinger 1987)

Temporal epileptics describe having seizures which involve religious
elements, including the sort of dramatic transformations described
after near death experiences.(Morse 1992) I reported on a 12 year
old girl who described leaving her physical body, traveling down
a tunnel to a place she felt was heaven; not after nearly dying,
but in the context of EEG findings consistent with right temporal
epilepsy(Morse 1994) In one series, 88% of patients who saw themselves
from a vantage point of being outside the body, or seeing one's
one body externalized in space had a temporal lobe focus(Devinsky
1989).

Many of the experiences in temporal lobe epileptics involve phenomena
such as deja vu, jamais vu, memory recall, and visual and auditory
hallucinations.(Palmini 1992, So 1993). Feelings of religious ecstacy
(Williams 1956) and double consciousness, meaning the simultaneous
experience of one's ordinary consciousness and the perception of
another reality are again linked to right temporal lobe epilepsy.(Mendez
1996). Religious conversion is also described. (Dewhurst 1970).
Finally, Morgan (1990) makes a direct correlation between the religious
ecstasies reported in the works of Dostoyevsky and seizures caused
by a right temporal lobe astrocytoma. The latter involved feelings
of detachment, ineffable contentment, visualizing a bright light
recognized as the source of all knowledge, and seeing "Jesus Christ".

Similarities between published accounts of near death experiences
and LSD and ketamine induced hallucinations provide further support
for this theory. We applied Greyson's near death experience validity
scale to published accounts of LSD experiences, and found that
they scored as having NDEs. We developed a model of NDEs based
on serotoninergic mechanisms, localized within the right temporal
lobe(Morse 1989).

Jansen has proposed a model based on similarities in ketamine
experiences and NDEs. His model theorizes a neuroprotective benefit
from the experiences in that the end neurotransmitter L-glutamate
may be both neuroprotective and an endopsychosin. This model gives
an evolutionary reason for the development of the experiences as
they may protect the brain against hypoxia as well as giving an
expanded sense of awareness and detachment helpful in life threatening
situations..(Jansen K 1996) Ketamine also acts in the mesiotemporal
lobes and associated limbic lobe structures.(Morse 1989)

THE TEMPORAL LOBE AS LINK TO NON-LOCAL REALITY

In the aforementioned studies, virtually all of the authors describe
right temporal lobe experiences as "hallucinations". Dorland defines
a "hallucination" as a sense perception not based in objective
reality. However, those who describe near death experiences, as
well as ketamine induced visions state that the experiences are
real, and involve the perception of a "real" God.(Morse 1990, Jansen,
personal communication).

Furthermore, it is clear from both clinical and experimental evidence
that near death experiences are in fact the dying experience and
are not artifacts of resuscitative efforts, hypoxia, treatment
with drugs such as morphine, or hypercarbnia(Morse 1986, 1991;
Whinnery 1990) We now have an experimental method of inducing near
death experiences, the high speed centrifuge used to study the
effects of increased gravity on fighter pilots. They have "dreamlets" similar
to near death experiences, at the point when blood flow theoretically
is stopping in their temporal lobes(Jim Whinnery, personal communication
1997).

There is reason to believe that there are other realities to perceive.
Mathematical Physicist Paul Davies points out that there are three
generations of leptons and quarks, the fundamental building blocks
of the universe. The electron has the corresponding muon and tauon,
and there are corresponding quarks with different spins, resulting
in 12 basic entities of matter. This reality is based on electrons
and up and down quarks, and the other particles only last for a
fraction of a second in this universe. It is reasonable to speculate
that there are other realities which are muon or tauon based with
different quark pairs.(Davis 1992).

Molecular biologist De Duve has concluded that there is a cosmic
imperative to develop conscious life.(de Duve 1995) It is respectable
to speculate that such a cosmic imperative would exist in other "worlds" as
well. This provides a possible solution to the current clinical
problem in which healthy non-psychotic persons perceive other realities
and beings while in altered states of consciousness.(Hufford 1982)

A number of speculative books written by mathematicians and theoretical
physicists discussing these issues are numerous, going all the
way back to Wolfgang Pauli who teamed up with Carl Jung to develop
the concept of the collective unconscious.(Schrodinger 1944, Zukav
1979, Capra 1976, Tiller 1997, Gleick 1987, Peat 1987, Bohm D 1987,
Wheeler in Buckley and Peat 1979) All of these books emphasize
that theoretical physics contains the concept of a non-local reality,
meaning that events can be independently linked even though there
are no forces interconnecting them. Time and space are not immutable
constants in sub-atomic reality.

Paul Davies concludes in his book The Mind of God: "We have cracked
the cosmic code. We, who are animated stardust, have a glimpse
of the rules on which the universe runs. How we have become linked
into this cosmic dimension is a mystery. Yet the linkage cannot
be denied." Michio similarly comments that it is not hard to formulate
the mathematical principles underlying 10 dimensions. "What is
hard is to understand how we can communicate and interact with
them."

There are three ways of understanding how the human brain could
have non-local interactions with other realities. Humans could
have 1) non-local interactions with other "worlds", or 2) have
non-local interactions in the phenomenal world mediated by the
higher (10 or 11) dimensional physical model of reality of which
our world is a dimensional reduction. The problem with these two
models is that the former involves unknown and currently non-testable
mechanisms of interaction. The latter requires energy sources seemingly
beyond the ability of the human brain. (personal communication
Chris Clarke, Southhampton University)

I am proposing a third model in speculating that our right temporal
lobe allows for non-local interactions within our ordinary reality
due to quantum non-locality. That such interactions are possible
is documented by the Aspect experiments. Tippler(1994) has proposed
a timeless-spaceless omega point within conventional 4D space-time
which would explain such interactions. He details a series of experiments
that would confirm or invalidate its existence.

Near death experiences and visionary experiences in general may
simply be the clinical descriptions of our right temporal lobe
accessing information from a timeless space-less non-local reality.
These visions often contain precognitive elements such as those
documented in parents who have had infants die of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome.(Hennsley JA 1993) If there is a reality independent
of time, then precognition would be theoretically possible.

PARANORMAL BECOMES NORMAL ONCE WE POSTULATE A BIOLOGICAL LINK
WITH NON-LOCAL REALITY

If we can access a non-local reality, then "paranormal" abilities
could be analyzed as being based on normal right temporal lobe
function. For example, remote viewing is well documented in the
laboratory and is shown to be independent of time and distance(Dunne
1987,Utts 1996) . If we are able to access non-local reality, remote
viewing would not only be possible, but expected to be independent
of time and space.

Sheldrake has already proposed a model of "morphic forms". These
are patterns of energy in nature which correspond to the physical
bodies, memories, and behaviors of living organisms. I am adding
to this model the speculation that our right temporal lobe is the
mediator of morphic resonance, the postulated interaction between
our brains and morphic forms. Becker(1985,1990) presents evidence
that biological resonance and absorption and even transfer of energy
occurs at the specific frequency range at which the hydrogen atom
proton is effected by nuclear magnetic resonance. He demonstrates
that Chi Gong practitioners can effect the NMR spectrum of certain
chemicals. He also makes the intuitive connection that healers
may be accessing morphic forms in non-local reality and using that
interaction to correct flaws in the body's energy template.

Many of the illnesses which respond best to mind-body interventions
such as cancers and autoimmune diseases, may be understood as responding
to the correction of DNA through morphic resonance, mediated by
the right temporal lobe. Kelleher(1998) has described a model through
which spiritual events could result in a change in our DNA as evidenced
by transpon activity, although he does not mention the right temporal
lobe. Remarkable healings in cancer patients have been anecdotally
linked to dissociative events and near death experiences.(Hirshberg
1995) Benson(Hirshberg page 125) states that his studies of meditation
by Yoga Masters indicates "that there is a source of energy within
the human body other than one's we are currently aware of". Again,
circumstantial evidence links meditation with right temporal activity.
Benson finds a common element in meditation is to try to find a
timeless state of consciousness, and suggests that patients use
the same sort of imagery seen in spiritual visions.(Benson 1992)
Often dissociative experiences, previously documented as right
temporal lobe in nature, are the by-products of meditation.

There is some evidence linking paranormal events and right temporal
lobe function. Deja vu and premonitions are documented on right
temporal lobe stimulation(Mullan 1959)

Professional mediums often have anomalous findings on temporal
lobe EEGs(Nelson 1970) Several authors have found an increase in
subjective paranormal experiences in subjects who also demonstrated "temporal
lobe lability", meaning that they had an increased number of minor
symptoms associated with temporal lobe epilepsy, but never had
a seizure.(Persinger 1993, Neppe VM 1981, Makarec K 1990) Anomalous
experiences of all types have been localized to the temporal lobes,
by Neppe(1984).

Targ and Katra(1998) have already pointed out similarities between
mind-body healing, remote viewing, and postulated interactions
with a non-local universe. Both remote viewers and spiritual healers
report dissociative experiences as triggering events for their
abilities. (Targ and Katra, McMoneagle1993)

There are experiments that could be done to validate or disprove
my hypothesis. DNA transpon activity can be measured, and alterations
by spiritual events or near death experiences documented. It is
also possible that spiritual experiences could cause measurable
alterations in the human immune system, similar to those seen in
studies of personality profiles.(Ader 1991) If a biological marker
for dissociative events could be identified, then the presence
or absence of that marker could be evaluated in a variety of situations
including spiritual healings, remote viewing studies, and electrical
stimulation induction of spiritual experiences.

Hameroff has proposed that protein microtubules within nervous
system cells mediate energy interactions between the brain and
non-local reality.(Hameroff 1997, 1998) The presence of these microtubules
could be looked for within the right temporal lobe. Presence or
absence of these proteins could also be correlated with the aforementioned
clinical situations.

Clinical studies could be done of paranormal abilities such as
remote viewing after right temporal lobe stimulation. There is
some evidence that electromagnetic field activity can alter paranormal
abilities (Haraldsson E 1987). These types of studies could be
applied to Chi Gong and spiritual healing as well.

This new model of an interactional universe mediated by our right
temporal lobes explains more data than previous models. It has
specific areas that can be proven or disproven by reproducible
experiments. I predict that even if this proposed model ultimately
does not withstand the test of time, a new understanding of human
consciousness will result in investigating it.

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